Latest

23:56 That marks the end of our live coverage for tonight, but clearly there is much more to say. Look at www.telegraph.co.uk tomorrow to follow developments. Thanks for reading.

23:48 Various comparisons are being given to demonstrate the power of the earthquake and tsunami, from the simultaneous detonation of every nuclear warhead on Earth (Daily Mail), to the explosion of 1.5 billion tonnes of TNT (Financial Times), to dropping the Isle of Wight into the Pacific (this newspaper).

23:46 Clear examples are emerging of how well prepared Japan is for earthquakes: cupboards with sensors which automatically lock to prevent their contents causing damage, and a man running a china shop who sells vases for up to £5,000 who hadn't lost a single plate.

Related Articles

23:38 The Independent newspaper is quoting reports of tens of thousands of people missing. That's many times the official police estimates.

23:12 What appeared to be a relatively controllable problem at the Fukushima facility is starting to look more serious. Mark Hibbs, of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said if the cooling systems were not repaired within 24 hours, the plant risked a “definite danger of a core meltdown", with the “ultimate worst-case” was a “Chernobyl scenario” with explosions destroying the reactor.

22:42 Second power plant at Fukushima starting to lose its cooling systems, according to Japanese officials.

22:10 Fukushima plant is still partly submerged in the floodwater.

22:03 Radiation at Fukushima nuclear power station rising to 1,000 times normal levels, according to unconfirmed reports.

21:46

An oil refinery in Chiba, near Tokyo, burns after the earthquake

21:39 Experts say the No1 Reactor at the nuclear plant is 40 years old.

21:37 Reports suggest possibility of radiation leak at nuclear power station at Fukushima. Evacuatino zone extended to six miles. Radiation said to be at eight times normal levels.

21:30 Japan's waking up to the devastation of yesterday. A pretty grim morning.

21:01 More reports of missing trains: four now declared missing, one derailed.

20:23 The earthquake ruptured a section of the Earth's crust 150 miles long and 50 miles wide, according to the US Geological Survey.

20:17 An estimated 3,000 ships were at sea within 500 miles of the epicentre of the earthquake when it hit, according to a spokesman for Lloyd's of London, the shipping insurer, but almost all appear to have ridden out the waves unscathed.

20:02 Officials in Crescent City, California, say one person has died and three have been swept out to sea after waves from the earthquake hit the US.

19:58 Over 35 boats have been crushed and destroyed by waves hitting the Californian coast in Crescent City, 350 miles north of San Francisco, according to Cindy Henderson, the area's emergency services manager. The cost of the damage is estimated at over $2m.

19:41 BBC's science correspondent, Pallab Ghosh, claims the fishing boat trapped in what appeared to be a whirlpool would have been dragged to the centre and "pushed to the bottom of the sea" unless it could power away. Didn't look that powerful to me, but maybe that's why I'm not a science correspondent. Or perhaps he was getting a bit carried away.

19:40 The tsunami alert in Indonesia has now been dropped, according to the BBC's Kate McGeown in Jakarta. It appears that the Pacific Rim is being less badly affected than we had feared, happily.

Gridlock in Tokyo as residents try to get to loved ones or leave the city. Picture: Alfie Goodrich

19:31 Early estimates suggest the disaster could cost insurance companies in Japan £9.3billion.

19:21 Japan has requested the help of international search and rescue teams, according to the UN.

19:19 Strong aftershock estimated at magnitude 6.6 felt in western Japan, according to the state broadcaster NHK.

19:14 Pope Benedict XVI has said he is "deeply saddened" by today's events.

19:01Felipe Calderon, the President of Mexico, tweets that the tsunami has reached his shores, but pushed no higher than the high water mark.

18:40 Radioactive "vapour" will be intentionally released from the Fukushima nuclear power station to lower the pressure inside No1 reactor, authorities in Japan say.

18:36 Ocean surges being reported in Oregon on the US coast, described as similar to the changes from high to low tide but in just 30 minutes.

18:32 The Red Cross has set up a website for people who've lost touch with relatives and friends in Japan. Click here to access it.

18:30 US report suggests the earthquake and tsunami could have been created by the Moon as it approaches its closest point to Earth in 18 years, in what they call a "supermoon", pointing out that the 2005 tsunami was two weeks before another "supermoon".

18:19 Japanese minister says radiation leak "could occur" at Fukushima nuclear plant. However, must be stated that there's no apparent evidence of this yet.

18:15 Captain of USS Blue Ridge, the flagship of the US Navy's Seventh Fleet, which is based in Japan, tells Sky News the vessel is stocking up with humanitarian aid in Singapore ready to head for northern Japan in a few days.

17:59 "Millions" of people on the streets of Tokyo as rail services cancelled despite advice to stay at home. Traffic in gridlock across the city with CNN correspondent Kyung Lah tweeting: "I've gone 3 miles in 3 hours. Seriously. This is how bad it is in Tokyo right now."

17:47 Californians have been ordered to evacuate in five counties on the west coast.

17:45

Waves of the tsunami hit homes after the largest earthquake in Japan's recorded history slammed the eastern coast Picture: AP

17:34 President Obama tells White House press conference that the earthquake has "reminded us just how fragile life can be", adding that: a ship has been sent to evacuate US citizens from the Marianas Islands; US military personnel in Japan are still being accounted for; embassy staff have been moved "to an off-site location"; the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been "fully activated"; and that people told to evacuate should "do as you are told".

17:29 Geologists warning that "large earthquakes could continue for many months".

17:27 Five of the top 10 worldwide Twitter trends are now Japan-related. The site appears to be struggling to cope with the vast volume of comments and support for those affected.

17:24 Over 400 people have already called the Foreign Office helpline (number is above).

17:21 Rather jarring advert on Sky News between rolling coverage of tsunami: "Lesson 24; how to ride a wave" - ad for British Airways flights to Barbados. Awful coincidence or terrible attempt at marketing?

17:15 Japanese news agencies are saying the death toll has exceeded 1,000.

17:14 A second train has been declared missing, AFP reports. One has the feeling that this is only the beginning of the horrible unravelling of how people have been affected by this tragedy.

17:12 The earthquake is the biggest in Japan's history and one of the five strongest on Earth in over 100 years. They're listed by recency here:

-March 11, 2011: magnitude 8.9 off the northeast coast of Japan, final devastation as yet uncalculated

17:00 Millions of people across Japan are without power, it's been reported.

16:58 Over 68 emergency response teams from 45 countries are ready to help deal with the aftermath of the quake, according to a spokeswoman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

16:54 A bullet train carrying hundreds of passengers through the Miyagi region has been reported missing.

16:50 It's not just the Pacific Rim south of Japan that's affected - Canada has just issued a tsunami warning for the coast of British Columbia.

16:46 It appears that the rest of the world has been pretty powerless to help Japan, other than a US Air Force flight which delivered emergency coolant to one of the nuclear power stations affected.

15.47: The World Nuclear Industry Association says it understands water is being pumped back into the cooling system at Fukushima and is "under control", Reuters reports. It adds Hillary Clinton says the U.S. Air Force has delivered coolant to the plant.

15.22: President Obama is due to hold a news conference at 1730 GMT, the White House says. He has delayed it because he is getting a briefing about the crisis in Japan. He is calling Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan to offer help.

15.19: The nuclear plant with the failing cooling system is expected to have its system return to normal shortly, the local Jiji Press agency has reported.

15.15: British Ambassador to Japan, David Warren, tells Sky News that there are no British casaulties "at this stage" but he says that there may be Britons up in the ravaged north-east of the country. It is too early to tell, he adds.

He said that the embassy "has had contact" from people all over the country.

A tsunami approaches Natori city, Miyagi Prefecture following the enormous earthquake off the coast of Japan. (Picture: REUTERS)

14.31: Almost all of the about 1,200 households in part of the tsunami hit Pacific coast town of Sendai, have been left homeless, police said. The armed forces say 60,000-70,000 people in Sendai were evacuated to shelters.

Sendai, the capital of Miyagi prefecture, has a population of about one million. Up to 300 bodies have been discovered in the area.

Fishing boats and vehicles are carried by a tsunami wave at Onahama port in Iwaki city after an earthquake shook Japan. (Picture: AFP/GETTY IMAGES.)

14.26: Ban Ki-moon, the UN chief, has said the global body will "do anything and everything" to help Japan after a devastating 8.9-magnitude earthquake hit the country unleashing a Pacific-wide tsunami.

Japan is the most generous and strongest benefactors coming to the assistance of in need of the world over.

The world is shocked and saddened by the images coming out of Japan this morning. The UN stands by the people of Japan, we will do anything and everything we can at this very difficult time.

14.24: Bloomberg reports that more than 5800 residents have now been evacuated from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

14.15: Authorities in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia have ordered residents to evacuate coastal areas for fear of waves caused by a huge earthquake in Japan.

Local authorities urged residents in northern parts of the main island and along the whole east coast of the nearby Loyalty Islands "to evacuate their homes and reach high ground".

Residents look on in horror at factory building that collapsed in Sukagawa city, Fukushima prefecture (Picture AFP/ GETTY IMAGES)

14.11: Japan coast guard searching for another ship with 80 on board washed away by tsunami.

The ship was carrying 80 dock workers when it was swept away when a tsunami struck the northeastern coast, AP reports.

The vessel was washed away from a shipbuilding site in Miyagi prefecture (state). That's the area most affected by a massive offshore earthquake on Friday. The quake triggered the tsunami.

14.03 A six foot surge has been reported in Kahului Harbor, Hawaii, says Gerard Fryer from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC).

He told reporters: "This is not going to be a major damaging event."

14.02: Andrew Mitchell, the International Development Secretary, says British rescue teams are on four hours' notice to fly to the disaster zone.

He told BBC Radio 4's World at One:

It is clear Japan has some of the most sophisticated search and rescue people in the world, but if we are asked for any technical or additional support, then of course we will give it.

The British search and rescue team are on four hours' notice if that is required.

More widely we are watching carefully what is happening to this wall of water and tsunami spreading across the Pacific Ocean. As we see the scale of what develops, we will continue to hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

Britain will be engaged in giving any support we can to those affected.

Residents look at a damaged house and road in Sukagawa city, Fukushima prefecture (Picture AFP/GETTY IMAGES)

14.00: At least 12 powerful aftershocks, seven of them of a magnitude of at least 6.3 - the size of the quake which struck Christchurch - have hit Japan.

13.56: Apparently rock band Iron Maiden's flight was diverted as they headed to Japan to play a pair of shows in Tokyo.

13.53: Dozens of Japanese companies have suspended their operations.

Nissan said it suspended operations at a plant in Kanagawa prefecture, west of Tokyo, that produces lithium-ion batteries for electric cars after an earthquake in Japan. The suspension adds to the four other Nissan factories.

Other companies including Sony and Toyota have halted output. Sony halted and evacuated six factories in northeastern Japan. A spokesman said the company was assessing the impact of power outages and damage to its facilities in the region, which make Blu-ray discs, magnetic heads and batteries.

13.50: Tokyo's Narita airport has partially resumed flights after closing following a huge 8.9 magnitude earthquake that hit Japan on Friday and triggered a devastating tsunami.

Officials from the airport said some departing flights were now taking off from the airport, but that it was not accepting arrivals following the worst quake in Japanese history.

At Tokyo's Haneda airport, some flights were departing and arriving but a number had been cancelled.

Hotel guests from the Moana Surfrider evacuate early on Friday, March 11, 2011 in Honolulu, Hawaii (Picture: AP)

13.46: The IAEA has said it had received information from its International Seismic Safety Centre that a second earthquake of magnitude 6.5 had struck Japan near the coast of Honshu, near the country's Tokai plant. Reuters said it gave no further details.

13.44: A major explosion hit a petrochemical complex in the northeast Japan city of Sendai hours after the biggest earthquake in Japanese history triggered a devastating tsunami, local media have reported.

A screen grab shows a tsunami simulation with a prediction of possible spots that could be hit by giant waves after the Japan earthquake. (Picture: EPA)

13.36: Local news agencies in Japan report that between 200-300 bodies have been discovered on tsunami-hit Sendai, AFP reports.

13.35: The Bank of Japan has announced that the two-day Policy Board meeting scheduled for next week is to be cut short.

Analysts say the Bank wants to bring forward the policy announcement to "accommodate additional measures in response to today’s earthquake".

The Bank has already promised “to do its utmost, including the provision of liquidity, to ensure the stability in financial markets and to secure the smooth settlement of funds, in the coming week”, according to Julian Jessop, Capital Economic's Chief International Economist.

Bloomberg reported the Bank had asked banks, securities firms and insurance companies to help clients and depositors in areas affected by the quake.

Financial institutions should honor deposits and withdrawals for customers whose documentation has been lost or damaged because of the disaster, the central bank and Financial Services Agency said.

13.34: Bloomberg reports that Indonesia has lifted a tsunami warning, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency said. Meanwhile Reuters reports a tsunami alert for Guam has been lifted after it was triggered by a massive earthquake off Japan, the U.S. Pacific territory's governor said.

Residents walk between grid locked vehicles on their way home among chaotic traffic in central Tokyo, after the earthquake off the coast of northern Japan (PIcture: REUTERS)

13.32: Millions of people in greater Tokyo are stranded far from home after Japan's biggest earthquake on record shut down the capital's massive subway system.

13.31: The Prince of Wales has sent a personal message of support to the Emperor of Japan.

It was with the greatest shock and sadness that my wife and I heard the terrible news this morning of a massive earthquake in North East Japan.

I can only begin to imagine the horrifying situation with which local communities and your Emergency Services are having to deal.

We have been following reports closely and I wanted Your Majesty to know how much our hearts go out to the families and friends of all those who have lost their lives, have been injured or have seen their property destroyed.

You are constantly in our thoughts and prayers at this most dreadful and challenging of times.

13.29: Ecuador President Rafael Correa invoked emergency powers and ordered the evacuation of the Galapagos Islands and coastal areas as the country braces for a tsunami, Bloomberg reports.

Mr Correa has signed an emergency powers decree, which lasts for 60 days from today, and gives the armed forces and police control of coastal areas.

Ellie Moe, 30, a mother of two originally from Hertford, was at home in Tokyo with her young daughters when the earthquake hit.

She initially couldn't contact her New Zealand-born husband Steven, 34, who had only this week returned from Christchurch where he had been visiting his parents in the wake of their earthquake.

Mrs Moe said:

Earthquakes have been on my mind a lot, and I've been really wondering when one will hit Tokyo. We have little ones fairly infrequently here, but this was the first that I was actually doubting if our building would hold up.

Thankfully I was at home with my two girls, aged three-and-a-half and 18 months, and when it started I thought it would be over with soon, but it got bigger and bigger.

I grabbed them and we sat in the hallway, away from the windows and anything that might fall. It just went on and on.

Everything was shaking and banging, doors were opening and closing and I could hear lots of things falling over, but thankfully no furniture fell down.

Afterwards we sat there glued to the ground, praying for my husband who works in the city in an older building with 5,000 people. Then the second one came, it seemed right away, just as big although not for as long.

My elder daughter Shanna was pretty scared but deals with situations like this by going to sleep and the baby, Ayala, I think thought it was a ride.

I wondered if we were meant to go outside somewhere in an event like this but i didn't know where.

Also I couldn't find any English information on our radio nor much on the internet so had to guess at the Japanese announcements.

It was certainly terrifying. My mouth was dry for hours afterwards and I felt nauseous. But I just keep thinking how much worse it would have been if it was centred under Tokyo. Only now are we realising the extent of the horror further north.

A tsumani triggered by a powerful earthquake makes its way to sweep part of Sendai airport in northern Japan (Picture: AP)

Richard O'Shea, 25, originally from Neath, South Wales, is also currently living in Tokyo, where he works as a teacher.

He said:

I was at school when it hit. First we got the children to go under the table, that was just standard procedure, but the force just continued to grow, it felt like the world was going to end.

The children were very well behaved when the quake was at its peak and I was quite scared.

I looked under the desk and there was a three-year-old boy playing with a toy banana as if everything was normal - I don't know why, but it really calmed me down.

Matthew Holmes, a 27-year-old from Nottingham, was at work in Shimokitazawa, west central Tokyo, when he felt the earthquake, which he described as being "like many shocks, joined up by a feeling of being on a wave".

Mr Holmes, who is teaching English after studying for a journalism MA at Sheffield University, said:

I was teaching a class at the time and it's the first time I've been under the table. People were genuinely worried when they told me to get down.

We're only on the second floor, and I thought they were looking after the uninitiated foreigner, but then they really seemed to hit a strange auto-pilot panic.

I have been in Tokyo for three years but never felt something like that. People in their 50s are telling me that neither have they.

13.05: Oil has fallen below $100 a barrel in New York for the first time in more than a week, Bloomberg reports.

13.02: The AP is now saying that Japan's nuclear safety agency has issued an evacuation order to more than 2,800 residents living near the nuclear plant.

Japanese police direct traffic on a highway destroyed during the earthquake in Fukushima prefecture (Picture: EPA)

12.50: William Hague has just emerged from the COBRA crisis meeting.

He admitted the Japan quake will "stretch resources" but he will ensure the "necessary" funds. He said the British government will pledge "whatever assistance" was required from the Japanese government

He told reporters in Whitehall:

It does stretch our resources. That is why we are co-ordinating across all government departments.

We will make sure that the necessary resources are there.

12.42:Japan has told the U.N. nuclear wathchdog that a heightened state of alert has been declared at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant after Friday's major earthquake, the Vienna-based agency said.

Reuters reported that the International Atomic Energy Agency also said it had been told that the plant had been shut down and that no release of radiation had been detected.

Japanese media have reported separately that a leak was possible at the plant as water levels fell.

The World Meteorological Organisation says prevailing winds are blowing eastwards, away from the Japanese coast.

The IAEA is seeking further details on the situation at Fukushima Daiichi and other nuclear power plants and research reactors, including information on off-site and on-site electrical power supplies, cooling systems and the condition of the reactor buildings.

Nuclear fuel requires continued cooling even after a plant is shut down.

Buildings burn after an earthquake near Sendai Airport (Picture: REUTERS)

12.40: Nucler power stations reactors are set up to withstand quakes because of the constant threat in the area, according to experts.

Ian Hore-Lacy, of the London-based World Nuclear Association, said:

They are programmed to shut down as soon as the ground shakes above a certain level and that happened this time.

There are three nuclear plants in the affected area and they all stopped operating at once.

The Japan Atomic Industry Forum (JAIF) issued a notice saying all reactors in the north-eastern part of Japan had shut down automatically.

There was no damage reported to nuclear power plants and there was no indication of any radioactive release.

12.42: Broadcaster NHK says death toll at least 60. Some reports have said that dozens of people trapped in hotel on outskirts of Tokyo. With 56 more missing, officials have braced country that death toll was likely to continue climbing given the scale of the disaster.

12.40: William Hague to give statement shortly after COBRA meeting.

A man looks for supplies in a store in Tokyo that has almost sold out of food and drink as people are unable to return home after an earthquake (Picture: REUTERS)

12.33: A train is unaccounted for in one coastal area, Kyodo reports. The East Japan Railway Co. train was running near Nobiru Station on the Senseki Line connecting Sendai to Ishinomaki when a massive quake hit.

Reporters in The Japan Times newsroom are standing while they type their stories into the system... just in case they have to evacuate!

12.26: At least 50 people killed in the quake and ensuing tsunami, Japanese TV broadcaster NHK reports.

12.22: Authorities have urged 2,000 residents living within a mile radius of a nuclear plant in Fukushima to evacuate. A radoactive leak was possible at the nuclear plant in a prefecture, north of Tokyo.

The Fukushima prefectural government issued the advice for residents near the No. 2 reactor of the Fukushima No. 1 plant operated by Tokyo Electric Power Co.

12.21: Fire at Onagawa nuclear plant has been extinguished, the IEA says. It says it has received information from Japan of heightened state of alert at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant: Reuters snaps.

12.18: Reports in Hawaii say that dozens of people who do not have "acute medical problems" are arriving at hospital emergency departments to seek shelter from the approaching tsunami.

Hospital resources are not sufficient to accommodate those looking for shelter. The influx of people is straining resources to care for people having medical emergencies.

11.20: The Japan earthquake was 8,000 times bigger than the one that rocked Christchurch last month, experts say

It is the biggest since records began 140 years ago in a country that is is used to such disasters because of its position on the boundary of the Pacific and Eurasian tectonic plates.

Dr Brian Baptie, of the British Geological Survey's Worldwide Earthquake Locator at Edinburgh University, said it surpasses the Great Kanto quake of September 1, 1923, which had a magnitude of 7.9 and killed more than 140,000 people in the Tokyo area.

Tokyo might have something of a food problem tomorrow. Shelves are now emptying and transport is not going to be predictable

11.16: US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle have offered his "condolences" to the people of Japan and said his country stood ready to help them after a massive earthquake and tsunami, AFP reports.

Michelle and I send our deepest condolences to the people of Japan, particularly those who have lost loved ones in the earthquake and tsunamis

The United States stands ready to help the Japanese people in this time of great trial.

The friendship and alliance between our two nations is unshakeable, and only strengthens our resolve to stand with the people of Japan as they overcome this tragedy.

We will continue to closely monitor tsunamis around Japan and the Pacific going forward and we are asking all our citizens in the affected region to listen to their state and local officials.

I have instructed FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) to be ready to assist Hawaii and the rest of the US states and territories that could be affected.

11.15: Public phone use in northern, eastern Japan has been offered free of charge, the Japanese Times quotes the Kyodo news agency

Cars and other debris swept away by tsunami tidal waves are seen in Kesennuma in Miyagi Prefecture, northern Japan (Picture: AP)

11.10: Stocks all round the world have been hit but the yen proved resilient to one of the bigger tremors the country has suffered. The FTSE is set for its worst ever week for almost a year.

Shares in European insurers fell sharply on Friday morning after the massive earthquake.

The quake, which struck towards the end of the Asian trading session, prompted a renewed bout of selling in stock markets and a kneejerk sell-off in the yen. But the Japanese currency recovered somewhat, thanks to its status as a safe haven for international traders.

With tsunami alerts in place all round the Pacific Rim, from Australia all the way up to the west coast of the U.S, investors are clearly on edge over the potential fallout.

11.06: Further to our 10.54 post, Japan issues state of emergency at the nuclear plant after cooling system failure. There have been no radiation leaks so far.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said:

We have declared a nuclear emergency state to take every possible precaution.

Let me repeat that there is no radiation leak, nor will there be a leak.

We ask residents in the areas near power plants to act calmly.

Houses swept out to sea burn following a tsunami and earthquake in Natori City in northeastern Japan (Picture: REUTERS)

11.00: Nikki Zywina, 22, from Bicester, Oxon, is an assistant language teacher in Yokote on the JET scheme.

She told The Daily Telegraph via Skype that she was "quite close" to where the quake hit:

We were in school, talking to the kids when suddenly the entire school was swaying for 3 minutes. We noticed this one. There have been constant aftershocks ever since. The power went out with second or third.

There have been two aftershocks in the last thirty minutes. They're big. Crazy. We got off pretty lightly I think. Haven't heard from anyone in Miyagi, but it's meant to be much worse there.

Everywhere in our prefecture the power is out. Possibly all over Northern Japan. We have got no news but on the radio.

The phone network is still up - at least on 3G anyway - but we can't really call each other. Gas and water are still fine. The news here is there might be aftershocks for the next month.

Everyone is coping. There's no damage. The teachers say it's the biggest they've ever felt, but they're pretty calm. The big problem is the snow has come back. There's a full on blizzard and no traffic lights.

None of the shops have power. They're all chock full of people buying up food. No idea when power is going to come back.

It was meant to be graduation tomorrow but it isn't going to go ahead as planned. I am probably going to sleep under my table

Nikki Zywina has been caught up in the earthquake in Japan

10.54: Further to our post at 0946, Japanese officials have admitted that a key cooling system at a nuclear reactor are "not working".

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano told reporters that the nuclear power plant in Fukushima developed a mechanical failure in the system needed to cool the reactor.

The reactor needs to have water pumped into it.

The pumping function for the cooler cannot be operated at this moment. The colling process to cool down the reactor is not going as planned."

10.51: Japanese officials have told residents to not use their phones unless absolutely "necessary".

10.46: A 4.5-magnitude earthquake has struck Hawaii as residents brace for a tsunami after a massive earthquake in Japan, the AP reports. There are no reports of damage.

Vehicles are crushed by a collapsed wall at a carpark in Mito city in Ibaraki prefecture (Picture: AP)

10.45: The BBC's Philharmonic Orchestra has been caught up in the quake as members travelled by coach from Tokyo to a concert in Yokohama.

Nobody was hurt and officials ere communicating with the orchestra via text and monitoring their updates on Twitter, a spokeswoman said.

10.41: Chile’s government has issued a tsunami warning after Japan suffered an 8.9-magnitude earthquake, President Sebastian Pinera told reporters.

The government does not rule out evacuating Easter Island if necessary, he added.

10.31: New Zealand civil defence officials have issued a tsunami warning for the country and warned people to stay clear of beaches, AFP reports.

Houses are swallowed by the tsunami in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture (Picture: AP)

10.30: The AP now saying death toll is 32, quoting Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency.

10.25: David Cameron said the Japanese earthquake was a "terrible reminder of the destructive power of nature", our Brusels correspondent Bruno Waterfield reports.

We've had a terrible reminder of the destructive power of nature and everyone should be thinking of that country and its people and I've asked immediately that our government should look at what we can do to help.'

10.20: Taiwan reports that waves that were supposed to hit haven't yet, the BBC reports. Locals have not enforced evacuations from coast amid hopes impact will not be as bad as feared.

Dan Okimoto, along with thousands of other Oahu residents are evacuated to higher ground due to the tsunami warning for the state of Hawaii (Picture: AP)

10.10: William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, says the British govenment has set up a crisis centre to co-ordinate its response. There are no reports of British casaulties at this stage.

He said British Embassies and Consulates are "preparing to provide assistance" and Rapid Deployment Teams are also "ready to travel immediately to the areas of most need".

Officials are urgently establishing a helpline for family and friends in the UK concerned about the safety of relatives. This will be activated very shortly.

Cars and airplanes swept by a tsunami are pictured among debris at Sendai Airport, northeastern Japan. (Picture: REUTERS)

He said:

My thoughts are with the people of Japan at this time. We are in contact with the Japanese government and I have asked our Ambassador in Tokyo to offer all assistance we can as Japan responds to this terrible disaster.

We are also working urgently to provide consular assistance to British Nationals. Our Embassy and Consulates-General across Japan are in touch with local authorities and making contact with British Nationals to provide consular assistance.

We have set up a crisis centre in the Foreign Office to co-ordinate our response and offer advice to anyone concerned about relatives or friends in Japan. We are not aware of any British casualties at this time.

Our advice to those in Japan is to check immediate surroundings for fire, gas leaks, broken glass and other hazards, and open doors and windows to avoid being locked in if there are after-shocks.

British Nationals should also make contact with the British Embassy in Tokyo on +(81) 3 5211 1100 or the Consulate-General in Osaka +(81) 6 6120 5600 and monitor local TV and radio for evacuation information.

Radio stations in the Tokyo area that have emergency information in English include the US Armed Forces station at 810AM and InterFM (76.1FM).

British Nationals at evacuation sites should cooperate with the Japanese authorities and clearly identify themselves as British. Those connected with larger organisations such as companies, schools or church groups should also try to let these organisations know of their situation if possible.

Following tsunami warnings across the region our Embassies and Consulates are preparing to provide assistance. Rapid Deployment Teams are ready to travel immediately to the areas of most need.

09.55: Two-thirds of the water supply was cut in Inagi-city, west of Tokyo, the Bureau of Waterworks of Tokyo Metropolitan Government has said.

A tsunami hitting the shores of Sendai following an earthquake-triggered tsumani in Japan. (Picture: AFP/GETTY IMAGES).

09.52: The four Japanese nuclear power plants closest to the quake have been safely shut down, the International Atomic Energy Agency said.

The IAEA, the Vienna-based U.N. nuclear watchdog, said it was seeking more information on which countries and nuclear facilities might be at risk from the tsunami unleashed by the quake, Reuters reports.

09.49: Death toll now 26, AFP snaps.

09.48: Tsunami warning expands to entire US West Coast, AP snaps. It has also reached Alaska.

Cars on a flooded street following an earthquake-triggered tsumani in Miyagi prefecture, a fire burns at a natural gas storage facility in Chiba (Picture: AFP/ REUTERS)

09.35: Further to our posts at 08.14 UK airlines have now cancelled flights to Tokyo, PA reports.

A British Airways plane heading for Tokyo's Hareda airport had pushed back off the stand at Heathrow when the airline decided it would not be leaving. BA also cancelled its daily Heathrow service to Tokyo's Narita airport.

But London-bound BA flights from Hareda and Narita were due to land safely back in the UK later today having left before the earthquake struck.

Virgin Atlantic, which operates daily services to Narita from Heathrow, also cancelled its Tokyo flight today.

A Virgin spokeswoman said:

Narita is about one hour from central Tokyo and we've cancelled our flight VS900 and the return flight VS901 today.

We do have a flight from Tokyo that left before the earthquake and that will arrive back this evening.

A BA spokesman added:

We decided that we would not operate the Haneda-bound flight (BA007) as a precaution and have also cancelled our flight to Narita."

There are fears that the tsunami could reach as far as Australia, Mexico and Hawaii. Both BA and Virgin said they were closely monitoring the situation.

Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant's cooling system not working. Emergency state announced

A fire in an oil plant in Chiba prefecture, east of Tokyo as massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake shook Japan (Picture: AFP/GETTY IMAGES).

09.18: Police in Hawaii are telling people over loud speakers to evacuate and it was "not a drill". Sky have broadcast footage showing traffic jams in the island. Warning sirens are constantly going off.

09.16: Steve Herman, the Voice of America correspondent, based in Seoul, reports on Twitter:

US Embassy Tokyo: Ready to mobilize US forces in Japan for quake/tsunami relief.

09.13: The Telegraph TV team have produced several videos of the Japan quake.

08.49: A tsunami warning has been extended to the whole of the Pacific basin, except for mainland United States and Canada, following the earthquake in Japan, the NOAA's National Weather Service said.

The warning includes Mexico and Central and South American countries on the Pacific, its Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said, according to Reuters.

It said that among the countries for which a tsunami warning is in effect are: Russia, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Honduras, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia and Peru.

08.47: The Japan quake is stronger than the one that struck Haiti, CNN has reported.

A man sits wrapped in a blanket after he was evacuated from a building in Tokyo's financial district (Picture: REUTERS)

08.46: The Philippine government on Friday strongly urged residents of its Pacific coast to "go farther inland" amid a tsunami threat following a huge earthquake off Japan, the civil defence office said.

08.43: Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration has begun evacuating some residents from the island's east coast following a tsunami alert issued after a major earthquake in Japan.

08:41: Hawaii has ordered the evacuation of low-lying coastal areas, officials on the US Pacific island state said.

08.40: Australia and its islands and territories are not under threat from a tsunami at this stage after an earthquake rocked Japan earlier today, the Sydney-based Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Center said, according to Bloomberg.

08.38: The Japanese government said it was coordinating an emergency and rescue plan on the assumption the quake had caused "tremendous damage".

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said the government was doing its utmost to rescue victims "on the assumption there has been tremendous damage", AFP reports.

If you are trying to call people in Tokyo use (03) numbers. Mobile networks still down.

08.35: The tsunami caused by the earthquake in Japan will start to reach coastal areas near Guangdong and Fujian provinces in southeastern China from 8:30 p.m. local time, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

Citing the National Marine Environmental Forecasting Center it said the tsunami won’t have a significant effect on those regions.

08.33: A tsunami warning has been issued for areas across East Asia and the western coast of South America following a huge earthquake that hit Japan on Friday, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.

The car park at Tokyo Disneyland was drenched with water-logged segments from the ground. It was earlier reported that a tsunami might have caused the inundation but police said the phenomenon was due to liquefaction of soil caused by the intense shaking of the tremor.

There were 69,000 people at the Disneyland and the adjacent Tokyo Disney Sea, built on a landfill in Tokyo Bay, when the quake occurred, a spokesman at the local Urawa police station said.

There were no injuries or property damage reported at the theme parks.

08.19: The Australian Science Centre has sent out a couple of expert comments. Kevin McCue is a seismologist and adjunct professor at CQUniversity. He is based in Canberra.

This is the largest earthquake known in Japan. There have been seven earthquakes in Japan over magnitude 8 since 1891.

In 1923 in the great Kanto earthquake which measured 7.9, 147,000 people died so our expectation is that many people will be killed and there will be extensive damage. Fortunately for Tokyo it’s a bit further north than the great Kanto earthquake was, which means the damage in Tokyo is likely to be much less.

A Pacific wide tsunami has been generated, so that will be impacting other countries in the north Pacific in the coming hours.

The wreckage of homes in Kobe, Japan following an earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale, 1995 (Picture: REUTERS).

Prof James Goff is Co-Director of the Australian Tsunami Research Centre and Natural Hazards Research Lab at the University of NSW:

This Japanese event was considerably larger, only 10 km deep [now revised by the USGS to 24km] and so we should expect a tsunami to have been generated by this.

Not surprisingly warnings and watches are in place. It would highly unlikely for a tsunami to NOT be generated.

Japan has a rigourous earthquake building code and excellent tsunami warning system and evacuation plans - this event will likely provide a severe test for all of them.

08.17: Shares in the German re-insurance giant Munich Re have plunged by 4.93 percent to 111 euros, and Allianz was down by 2.35 percent to 99.6 euros in opening trade following the massive earthquake in Japan.

The DAX index of German blue chips was off by 1.25 percent overall, AFP reports.

The owner of a ceramic shop checks his damaged wares following the massive 8.9-magnitude earthquake in Tokyo, Japan (Picture: AFP/ GETTY IMAGES)

08.14: Number of airlines have suspended flights to Japan.

Korean Air and Asiana Airlines have suspended flights.

Malaysian Airlines has diverted its Tokyo-bound flight MH070 to Taipei.

Qantas is reviewing whether a flight from Sydney to Tokyo would depart while Beijing Capital International Airport may have to delay flight departures.

Korean Air delayed flights scheduled to depart South Korea after the closure of Tokyo’s two main airports, at Narita and Haneda, due to the earthquake.

Jason Kim, a spokesman for Asiana, said it was unclear when flights may be able to resume.

08.13: The AP is reporting that Philippine officials are ordering an evacuation of coastal communities along the country's eastern seaboard in expectation of a tsunami following a 8.9-magnitude earthquake in Japan.

08.10: Japanese spokesman confirms Army have been sent in to affected areas.

08.04: AFP reports that three people are reported killed. The dead included a 67-year-old man crushed by a wall and an elderly woman killed by a fallen roof, both in the wider Tokyo area. Sendai in Japan has been hit by a major tsunami following a huge earthquake off the coast.

07:57 Trains are down in much of Japan, according to various sources. The Telegraph's Julian Ryall emails:

We've had a pretty big earthquake here and I'm stuck on a bullet train with the lights out, and a group of rather alarmed Japanese OAPs. Kids walking down the street after being evacuated from their school with earthquake helmets on.

07:55 Prime minister Naoto Kan is on television again. He says that while many nuclear power stations have shut down, there have been no reports of nuclear material escaping, but that it is a concern and they will confirm.

07:53 Huge fire at an oil refinery in Ichihara:

07:46 The US tsunami monitoring center has widened its tsunami warning to virtually the entire Pacific coast, including Australia, South America, Hawaii and the rest of the Pacific, after a massive earthquake in Japan - more via BBC Breaking on Twitter:

West coast of US and Hawaii placed on #tsunami 'watch'; western Alaskan islands on tsunami 'advisory' after huge #Japan #earthquake

07:42 Some Japanese nuclear power plants and oil refineries have been shut down and a major steel plant is ablaze, according to Reuters.

Al Jazeera grab showing the aftermath of the tsunami in Japan.

07:37 Sky News has shown the Japanese prime minister Naoto Kan talking to the nation, saying that people need to act fast to help each other and to minimise damage.

07:35 Taiwan and Indonesia become the latest country to issue tsunami alerts, according to Reuters and AFP respectively.

- Eight military planes scrambled to survey damage. Prime Minsiter Naoto Kan orders militaty to do utmost to act in response to quake. Cabinet to meet. The government says more tsunami possible.

- Central bank vows to do utmost to ensure financial market stability

- Several nuclear power plants shut down automatically. At least one station operating normally.

07:29 The first death has been reported, in Takahagi, Ibaraki Prefecture, east of Tokyo, according to AFP.

07:25 Russia's emergency ministry has issued a tsunami warning for the Kuril Island chain, a small group of islands to the north-east of Japan. "A potential tsunami warning is declared" for the Kuril chain that includes four islands claimed by Japan, a spokeswoman for regional emergencies ministry told AFP.

"People are being evacuated," spokeswoman Yekaterina Potvorova said, adding that ships had been ordered to leave ports.

07:22 So far there have been no reports of any deaths, but dozens of people have been reported injured. Trains have been stopped across the country - the Telegraph's own correspondent Julian Ryall is stuck on a bullet train - and there have been fires, while at least one large building in the capital Tokyo, the Kudan Kaikan, has collapsed, with an unknown number of casualties.

07:00 A massive earthquake off the coast of Japan has sent two major tsunamis towards the coast. Harrowing footage of the devastation in the coastal city of Sendai has been shown on Sky News. Follow here for the latest news.